Apparatus for assuring the position of the coke quenching car in relation to the coke guide



July 14, 1970 K. STENDER 3,520,425

APPARATUS FOR ASSURING THE POSITION OF THE COKE QUENCHING CAR IN RELATION TO THE COKE GUIDE Filed Aug. 19. 1988 INVENTOR.

KL 41/5 STE/V051? xwwgwaw vf/larneg United States Patent 3,520,425 APPARATUS FOR ASSURING THE POSITION OF THE COKE QUENCHING CAR IN RELATION TO THE COKE GUIDE Klaus Stender, Essen, Germany, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Koppers Company, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 753,666 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 16, 1967, 1,671,327 Int. Cl. Cb 33/10 U.S. Cl. 214-23 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is based on the problem of providing an apparatus for assurance of the position of the coke quenching car in relation to the coke guide with a very simple design and one that does not result in a high expenditure and that takes full account of the operating conditions. According to the invention, it is suggested that a switch connected with a lever system is arranged on the outside of the coke guide and that a lifting device, which is provided on the coke guide or on the coke quenching car, acts on the lever system to operate the switch in case of a correct position of both cars in relation to one another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is an apparatus for assuring the position of the coke quenching car in relation to the coke guide on pushing coke from horizontal slot ovens.

There are known apparatus that assure that a coke cake can be pushed only when both doors of the coke oven are extracted and the coke pusher machine and the coke guide are in alignment with the oven chamber. The actual pushing operation is directed from the coke guide car. Furthermore, care must also be taken that the coke quenching car is ready to receive the charge of coke at the beginning of the pushing operation. Electrical interlockings have been proposed for this purpose but they are very expensive and susceptible to damage in rough coke-plant operation and particularly sensitive to the relatively high temperatures prevailing there.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Apparatus for assuring the position of the coke quenching car in relation to the code guide when pushing coke from horizontal ovens includes a switch that is connected to a lever system arranged on the outside of the coke guide. A lifting device that is mounted to the coke guide or to the quenching car acts on the lever system. to actuate the switch when the correct relative position of the coke guide and quenching car is obtained.

For a further understanding of the present invention and for advantages and features thereof, reference may be made to the following description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawing which shows, for the purpose of exemplification, embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a modification of the invention of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The apparatus according to the invention can have various forms. According to one modification provision is made that the lifting device, which is arranged on the coke guide, acts on one arm of a lever while the other arm is connected with a preferably weighted pendulum, which is supported on a bumper on the coke quenching car, by means of which the lever together with a rod that operates the switch is adjustable in its bearing by means of an elongated hole.

Another modification of the invention consists in actuating a lever on the coke guide, which lever is connected via a rod with the switch, by the lifting device arranged on the coke quenching car. The lifting device itself can be operated mechanically, hydraulically, pneumatically, or electrically.

The apparatus conforming to the invention is suitably connected to the known apparatus mentioned in the beginnning for supervision of the position of the coke pusher machine and the coke guide, so that the latter can be active only by operation of the switch. This assures that the pusher ram of the coke pusher machine can be operated only when the doors of the oven chamber to be emptied are removed, the coke guide has been moved in correct operating position, and the coke quenching car is situated in the proper position for reception of the charge of coke.

According to FIG. 1 a switch 3 is arranged on the coke guide 1 by means of a holder 2. This switch is articulately connected via a rod 4 with a lever 5; in fact, in the present case it is connected in the pivot formed by a bearing 6. As is further apparent from FIG. 1, a lifting device 7, for example the piston of a pneumatic cylinder, acts on one arm of the lever. The lifting device is pivotally mounted in a holder 8; the latter and bearing 6 are fastened on a cantilever 9 on the coke guide. A pendulum 11, loaded with a weight 10, is suspended on the other lever arm.

The lifting device 7 is operated before the beginning of the pushing operation, whereby the pendulum is lowered. In case of correct position of the coke guide and coke quenching car in relation to one another the pendulum hits against the bumper 12 on the end of the quenching car 13. Since the lifting device 7 has not yet completed the stroke at this point and acts further on lever 5, the latter is lifted; this is made possible by the elongated hole 14 in the pivot. The result is that the rod 4 operates the switch 3 and, therefore, the pushing op eration can begin insofar as the above described, remaining prerequisites are fulfilled.

It is to be understood that the switch 3 is connected by electrical conduit 40 with an interlock device 42 which is connected in a conventional gamma ray circuit of a coke oven battery. A gamma ray emitter 44 is mounted to the pusher machine 46 and a gamma ray detector or receiver 48 is mounted to the coke guide 1.

Then, when the pusher machine 46, the coke guide 1, and the coke quenching car 13 are all properly positioned, the pendulum 11 will be raised to actuate the switch 3. Whereupon, the interlock device 42 is released and the gamma ray circuit is effective to permit the pushing operation to commence. Of course, the doors at the ends of the coke oven chamber will have been previously removed or there would be no free path for the gamma ray to pass from the emitter 44 to the receiver or detector 48.

If the coke quenching car 13 is not in correct position on operating the lifting device 7, the pendulum 11 encounters no resistance and the lever is not lifted in the pivot; therefore, the switch 3 is also not operated. In this case the pushng process cannot yet begin. If the lowered pendulum accidently hits the bumper 12 of the coke quenching car while the latter is in motion, the pendulum turns aside in the direction of travel. This is facilitated by the tapered ends of the bumper and, therefore, the switch 3 is not operated.

If the coke quenching car must be able to move in both directions for quenching the charge of coke, it should also be equipped with a bumper on the other end.

In the modification conforming to FIG. 2 a lifting device 27 is stationarily arranged on the coke quenching car. When this lifting device is operated and the coke quenching car and the coke guide are in correct positions in relation to one another, the piston of the lifting device acts on a bumper 15, which is fastened on a one armed lever 17 mounted at 16 on the coke guide. A rod 24 is also articulately connected with lever 17. Rod 24 transmits the motion of the lifting device and lever to another switch 23 that is similar to switch 3.

The switch 23 is also electrically connected to interlock 42 in the gamma ray circuit described previously as to FIG. 1.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for assuring the correct position of a coke quenching car in relation to a coke guide when coke is pushed from a horizontal coke oven chamber comprising:

(a) a switch mounted to said coke guide, said switch being electrically connected to a circuit controlling the pushing of coke from said oven chamber;

(b) a system of levers mounted to said coke guide that contact and are a means for actuating and deactuating said switch; and

(c) means on said quenching car that moves said lever system and actuates said switch when said coke guide and said quenching car are in proper relative relation thereby permitting said coke to be pushed.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said lever system includes:

(i) a first arm pivotally mounted to said coke guide;

(ii) a second arm pivotally mounted to said first arm as a pendulum;

(iii) a third arm mounted to said first arm and to said switch for operating the same; and

(iv) means to pivot said first arm whereby, when said second arm engages said means on said quenching car and said car and coke guide are in proper relative position, said third arm actuates said switch.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein:

(a) said first arm is pivoted about a bearing that admits of delay in moving said third arm that actuates said switch.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said lever system comprises:

(i) a first lever pivoted at one end to said coke guide car and to (ii) a second lever pivoted to said switch, whereby when said means on said quenching car engages said first lever it pivots and moves said second lever to actuate said switch thereby permitting coke to be pushed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,589,231 3/1952 Drake 214-23 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

